Charlotte (1803 ship)

Last updated

History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameCharlotte
Owner
  • 1804-7:Alex Adamson [1]
  • 1808-1829:Forbes & Co. [1]
  • 1831-32:Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy [1]
  • 1833:Madowas Dhurumdass [1]
Builder Bombay Dockyard [2]
Launched1803
FateWrecked 1851
General characteristics [3]
Tons burthen650, [1] or 672, [2] [4] or 707, [1] or 70781⁄94, [5] or 7078⁄94 (bm)
Length135 ft 9 in (41.4 m)
Beam34 ft 2 in (10.4 m)
PropulsionSail

Charlotte was built at the Bombay Dockyard in 1803. She spent most of her career as a country ship, trading between India and China, though she did sail between India and the United Kingdom on occasion, and under a licence from the British East India Company (EIC). The French captured her in 1804 but she returned to British hands. She was wrecked in 1851.

Contents

Career

Charlotte sailed between India and China in 1803, 1807, 1808, 1811, 1816, 1818, 1819, 1920, 1821, 1822, and 1826. [1] On 14 February 1804 Charlotte was one of the 28 vessels that made up the China Fleet, sailing back from China. Sixteen of the vessels were East Indiamen of the British East India Company (EIC). Eleven vessels (including Charlotte) were country ships. The EIC also had an armed brig. At the Battle of Pulo Aura the Fleet, under the leadership of Commodore Nathaniel Dance, managed to bluff a French squadron of a 74-gun third rate, two frigates, and two corvettes, into withdrawing after an exchange of long-distance fire.

In August 1804 Admiral Linois was cruising in the Indian Ocean in Marengo, together with the frigates Atalante and Sémillante. On the 18th, near Desnoeufs Island they encountered and captured two British merchant men, Charlotte and Upton Castle. They were on their way to Bombay when Linois's squadron captured them. [6]

Linois described Charlotte as being copper-sheathed, of 650 tons and 16 guns. She was carrying a cargo of rice. Upton Castle he described as being copper-sheathed, of 627 tons, and 14 guns. She was carrying a cargo of wheat and other products from Bengal. He sent both his prizes into Isle de France (Mauritius). [6]

How Charlotte and Upton Castle returned to British hands is currently obscure. Still, Charlotte was again in British hands by 1807, and Upton Castle by 1809.

In 1808 Captain Purefoy, of Charlotte observed a reef that was later determined to be at 21°35′N121°50′E / 21.583°N 121.833°E / 21.583; 121.833 , [7] about 100 miles ESE of the southernmost point on Taiwan.

In 1813 the EIC hadlost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a licence from the EIC. [8] '"Charlotte's owners or agents applied for such a licence, which they received the next day. [5]

Charlotte is twice listed among country ships sailing from London to Bombay. Under the command of Captain Brown, she sailed on 17 May 1815, and apparently again on 15 November. [9]

In 1815 Charlotte carried 15 Indian convicts from Bengal to Mauritius. [10]

After 1816, in between voyages to China, Charlotte frequently sailed to Batavia. [1]

On occasion she transported troops. In 1820 she carried part of the 65th Regiment of Foot to Mandvi. However, it took her three days to clear the Gulf of Kutch as she tried to return to Bombay. [1] On 25 February 1825 as Charlotte returned from London she stopped at Cannanore where she picked up troops from the 20th Regiment of Foot. She carried them to Panwell from where they could march to Poona. [1]

In between these two tasks, Charlotte twice sailed to the Elbe. The first voyage was in 1823. Within a year she sailed again and arrived there on 12 August 1824. She was too large to arrive at Hamburg. On one voyage she brought back a cargo valued at Rs 225,327. It consisted of iron and steel, canvas, cordage, masts and spars, spelter, and turpentine. On her return she paid the EIC 3.5% of the prime cost. She also paid 4% Town Duty on piece goods. [11]

Masters (1803–1833) [1]

  • Ruddock (1803–06)
  • Purefoy, James (1807 & 8)
  • Brown, Peter (1811–17)
  • Stevenson, C. James (1818–1825)
  • Hector, T. (1826–29)
  • Melville, George (1831–33)

Fate

On 1 June 1851 Charlotte sailed from Calcutta and by 11 June she was some 30 miles south of Bombay. The weather worsened and the captain set out anchors. However, Charlotte parted from her anchors and was driven ashore. The next morning the mate and 12 hands tried to reach shore in the ship's cutter. The cutter swamped in the surf, drowning one European apprentice and a native seaman. The remainder reached shore and were able to send a message to Bombay. Near noon Charlotte's master and the remaining crew left her on a raft they had constructed. Five minutes after they left their ship she broke apart. Fortunately, the men on the raft were able to reach the shore. All the survivors then proceeded on foot to Colaba. There the British East India Company's agent facilitated their reaching Bombay. [12]

Charlotte was carrying rice worth about Rs 60,000, and she was worth about the same. Ship and cargo were insured, but not to their full value. The captain's loss was particularly heavy as he was part owner of ship and cargo. [12]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Bulley (2000), pp. 127–8.
  2. 1 2 Wadia (1986), p. 337.
  3. ↑ Hackman (2001), p. 228.
  4. ↑ Phipps (1840), p. 168.
  5. 1 2 House of Commons (1816).
  6. 1 2 Mercure de France (1804), Vol. 20, p.380.
  7. ↑ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 28, p.317.
  8. ↑ Hackman (2001), p. 247.
  9. ↑ Lloyd's Register (1818).
  10. ↑ Anderson (2000), p. 127.
  11. ↑ Bulley (2000), p. 146.
  12. 1 2 Allens Indian Mail and Register of Intelligence for British And Foreign India, China, and All Parts of the East, January–December , 1851 (1851). (Wm.H. Allen & Co.).

Related Research Articles

French ship <i>Jean-Jacques Rousseau</i> (1795) French Gunship

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, active during the French Directory, French Consulate and First French Empire. Renamed Marengo in 1802, she took part in Linois' operations in the Indian Ocean before her capture by the Royal Navy.

French frigate <i>Atalante</i> (1802)

The Atalante was a 40-gun Virginie-class frigate of the French Navy, launched in 1802.

Experiment was launched in 1802 and was immediately taken up by the British East India Company (EIC), as an "extra ship" on a multi-voyage charter. She made three voyages for the EIC and disappeared without a trace while homeward bound on her fourth voyage in the same storm that claimed two other East Indiamen.

Cornwallis was built probably at Surat around 1789, or possibly Demaun in 1790. Her name was originally Britannia, but it was changed to Cornwallis shortly before her completion. She served for some years in India as a country ship, before transferring her registry to Britain in 1797. She then served in private trade between Britain and India until 1809 or so when she transferred her registry back to Bombay. Thereafter she served as a country ship, though in both 1810 and again in 1817 she performed a voyage to Britain for the British East India Company. Thereafter she apparently continued to serve as a country ship with homeport of Bombay. She burnt there in June 1841 as she was about to take a cargo of cotton to China.

Wexford was launched in 1802 as an East Indiaman in the service of the British East India Company (EIC). She made seven voyages to India, Persia, and China for the EIC, on the first of which she participated in the battle of Pulo Aura. Her last voyage ended in 1817 and she was broken up c. 1819.

Earl Camden Was launched in 1802 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made three voyages for the EIC until a fire destroyed her at Bombay in 1810 on her fourth voyage. On her first voyage she was under the command of Nathaniel Dance, who was the commodore of the EIC's homeward-bound China Fleet at the battle of Pulo Aura. In the South China Sea he led the whole convoy into an attack that bluffed a squadron of five French warships into withdrawing.

Anna was launched at Bombay in 1790. She was often called Bombay Anna to distinguish her from BengalAnna. Bombay Anna made two voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was lost at sea in 1816.

Brunswick was launched in 1792 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made five complete voyages for the EIC before the French captured her in 1805. Shortly thereafter she wrecked at the Cape of Good Hope.

<i>Upton Castle</i> (1793 ship)

Upton Castle was launched at Bombay in 1793. She spent her career as a "country ship", that is trading in the Far East. She made some voyages to England, including at least one, in 1809, under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). She also participated in two military campaigns as a transport. The French Navy captured her in 1804, but she returned to British hands before 1809. A fire in 1817 destroyed her.

Huddart was launched in 1803 as an East Indiaman. She made eight voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), between 1803 and 1818. In 1810-1811 she participated as a transport in two British military campaigns. In 1818 new owners deployed her in sailing to Canada. She was wrecked there in 1821.

Lord Castlereagh was launched in 1803 at Cochin and spent her entire career as a country ship based in Bombay. She made several voyages to China, during the first of which she was present at the battle of Pulo Aura. She also made a few voyages to England, including one for the British East India Company (EIC). She participated as a transport in the British Invasion of Isle de France. She was lost in 1840 at Bombay coming into harbour.

<i>Ceres</i> (1797 EIC ship) 1797 ship owned by the British East India Company

Ceres was launched in 1797 as an East Indiaman. She made nine voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), before she was hulked in 1816.

<i>True Briton</i> (1790 EIC ship)

True Briton was launched in 1790 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She was lost without a trace in 1809 during her eighth voyage.

Bombay Castle was launched in 1792 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold in 1807 for breaking up. In addition to carrying cargo for the EIC, she transported troops in one campaign, participated in a naval action in which she helped capture a French frigate, and played a leading role in an encounter between the French Navy and a fleet of East Indiamen in which the East Indiamen succeeded in bluffing the French to withdraw.

<i>Surat Castle</i> (1788 ship) Trade Vessel based out of India in the late 1700s

Surat Castle was launched at Surat in 1788 as a country ship, that is, a vessel that traded around and from India, staying east of the Cape of Good Hope. She originally was intended for the cotton trade with China. From 1796 to 1817 she made nine voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She then made one more voyage under a license from the EIC. She made one more voyage to India, this time under a licence from the EIC and then disappeared from easily accessible online sources after her sale in 1819.

Cumbrian was launched in 1803 at Bombay, possibly at the Bombay Dockyard. She was a "country ship", generally trading east of the Cape of Good Hope. She also made three voyages for the British East India Company. She was sold in 1835.

David Scott was launched at Bombay in 1801. She was a "country ship", i.e., she generally traded east of the Cape of Good Hope. Between 1802 and 1816 she made five voyages between India and the United Kingdom as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). Thereafter she traded between Britain and India under a license from the EIC. A fire destroyed her at Mauritius on 12 June 1841.

The H[onourable] C[ompany's] S[hip] Sylph was a schooner launched in 1806 at the Bombay Dockyard for the Bombay Marine, the naval arm of the British East India Company (EIC). The EIC sold her circa 1826 and she became a merchant brig. There is no mention of her in accessible online sources after 1828.

James Sibbald was launched at Bombay in 1803. She was a "country ship", a British vessel that traded only east of the Cape of Good Hope. A French privateer captured her in late 1804, but she quickly returned to British ownership in Bombay in a process that is currently obscure. She made several voyages for the British East India Company (EIC).

Carmarthen was launched in 1802 as an East Indiaman. She made eight round-trip voyages to India as an "extra" ship for the British East India Company (EIC). On her first voyage she participated in an experiment in bringing variolation to India and other British possessions to combat smallpox. After leaving the EIC's employment, she took one more voyage to India, sailing under a licence from the EIC. She was last listed in 1820.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.